Written Answers Thursday 10 December 2009

Scottish Executive

Animal Welfare

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding animal experimentation.

Michael Russell: This is an issue reserved to the UK Government and Scottish ministers have had no discussions with them on this. However, the former Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, in her capacity as Minister for Science, wrote to the Minister for State at the Home Office in April 2009, to confirm that the Scottish Government was content with their plans for a UK consultation on proposals for a new European Union Directive on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes. She also noted that it was important that we continue to move towards standards which minimise the use of animals in research, and to press other countries to adopt similar standards.

Climate Change

Cathy Peattie (Falkirk East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scotland’s Climate Change Declaration will have a role alongside the public body duties included in the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 and, if not, what steps are being taken to ensure a smooth transition from the commitments in Scotland’s Climate Change Declaration to the duties under the act.

Stewart Stevenson: In developing guidance on the public bodies duty – as required by the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 - the Scottish Government will continue to work with local government representatives to review how local authorities are contributing towards our shared climate change objectives, including the evolving nature of the Climate Change Declaration process.

Climate Change

Cathy Peattie (Falkirk East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to prepare its public engagement strategy to inform people about the targets specified under the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 and encourage them to contribute to the achievement of those targets.

Cathy Peattie (Falkirk East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken toward identifying actions that people may take to contribute to the achievement of the targets referred to in section 91(1)(a) of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009.

Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government’s GoGreener campaign website gives examples of actions which people can take to reduce emissions. Next steps in development of the public engagement strategy required by the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 will include research into the key attitudinal and behavioural changes required to address climate change.

Climate Change

Cathy Peattie (Falkirk East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish its public engagement strategy to inform people about the targets specified under the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 and encourage them to contribute to the achievement of those targets.

Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-29157 on 8 December 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

Climate Change

Cathy Peattie (Falkirk East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to the manner in which the public engagement strategy referred to in section 91 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 will be published.

Stewart Stevenson: This has yet to be decided.

Climate Change

Cathy Peattie (Falkirk East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken toward providing guidance to public bodies regarding climate change duties.

Cathy Peattie (Falkirk East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to consult on the provision of guidance to public bodies regarding their climate change duties.

Cathy Peattie (Falkirk East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whom it has consulted on the provision of guidance to public bodies regarding their climate change duties.

Stewart Stevenson: A full public consultation on draft guidance is planned to take place in 2010, prior to the coming into force on 1 January 2011 of section 44 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 which imposes climate change duties on public bodies.

Climate Change

Cathy Peattie (Falkirk East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken in co-operation with public bodies to help them comply with their climate change duties.

Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government is already working to assist public bodies to equip themselves with the knowledge, skills and awareness to deliver climate friendly policies and services. We support the Sustainable Scotland Network to provide assistance to local authorities in meeting their commitments in Scotland’s Climate Change Declaration, and the Scottish Climate Change Impacts Partnership is helping organisations to prepare for the impacts of climate change. Tailored support is provided by both the Carbon Trust and the Energy Saving Trust.

  We will continue to work with public bodies to consider what further support may be required to assist in compliance with climate change duties which are yet to be imposed on them, as section 44 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 does not come into force until 1 January 2011.

Climate Change

Cathy Peattie (Falkirk East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken toward designating persons or bodies to monitor whether relevant public bodies comply with their climate change duties and have regard to any guidance provided under section 45 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009.

Stewart Stevenson: Under section 47(1) of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act, Scottish ministers may, by order, designate one or more persons or bodies to monitor public bodies’ compliance with their climate change duties and have regard to any guidance given under section 45. Section 47 (1) of the act is not yet in force. Consideration will be given to the use of this power during development of the guidance to public bodies in relation to climate change duties.

Crime

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many offences of housebreaking were recorded in December in each of the last three years, broken down by police force area.

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many offences of drink driving were recorded in (a) January and (b) December in each of the last three years, broken down by police force area.

Kenny MacAskill: This information is not held centrally.

  The police recorded crime statistics collected centrally are based on an aggregate return from each of the eight police forces in Scotland and are not broken down by the month in which the crime/offence was recorded.

Crime

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many offences of drink driving were recorded in each of the last three years, broken down by police force area.

Kenny MacAskill: Information on the number of drink driving offences recorded by police force area for the last three years is given in table 4a in the annual statistical bulletin series Recorded Crime in Scotland, for each of the years 2006-07 to 2008-09, published by the Scottish Government in 2007, 2008 and 2009 respectively. Copies of the first two of these bulletins are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. numbers 43510 and 46684). The statistical bulletin Recorded Crime in Scotland, 2008-09 can be obtained at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2009/09/28155153/0.

Crime

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many crimes were recorded by the police as causing death by (a) dangerous driving and (b) careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs in each of the last three years, broken down by month of incident.

Kenny MacAskill: The police recorded crime statistics collected centrally are based on an aggregate return from each of the eight police forces in Scotland and are not broken down by the month in which the crime/offence was recorded.

  Information on the number of crimes recorded by the police as causing death by (a) dangerous driving and (b) careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs in each of the last three years, for Scotland, is given in the following table:

  

 Crime
 2006-07
 2007-08
 2008-09


 Causing death by dangerous driving
 37
 23
 27


 Death by careless driving when under influence of drink/drugs
 1
 1
 1


 Total
 38
 24
 28



  Source: Scottish Government Justice Analytical Services.

Digital Technology

Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when the programme for the broadband upgrade of BT exchanges will reach Drumbeg and Tongue.

Jim Mather: The Scottish Government hopes to be in a position to announce the exchanges to be upgraded and indicative timescales by the end of this year. Further information will be posted on our website in due course, at www.broadbandforscotland.co.uk .

Domestic Abuse

Hugh O'Donnell (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the fact that only 10 single outcome agreements contain a specific reference to children affected by domestic abuse in the area profile, despite the publication of the National Domestic Abuse Delivery Plan for Children and Young People .

Adam Ingram: Single outcome agreements (SOAs) are designed to set out the agreed high level, strategic priorities of a community planning partnership (CCP). These are set out as local outcomes, each of which is aligned to at least one of the government’s national outcomes. SOAs are not expected to describe how these local outcomes will be pursued, nor are they designed to capture all important activity undertaken by local community planning partners. Similarly, area profiles in the SOA will not include all statistics or information for the area.

  The national domestic abuse delivery plan’s programme aim is to reduce the prevalence of domestic abuse and its impact on children, families and communities in Scotland. It was launched as a partnership between Scottish ministers and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities in June 2008. All key partners have signed up to it. The vast majority of CPPs have identified domestic abuse in their SOAs as a local priority, reflecting the importance community planning partners in Scotland place on improving outcomes for children, families and communities affected by this issue.

Drug and Alcohol Misuse

Marilyn Livingstone (Kirkcaldy) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it is supporting the Fife Equally Well project, which aims to tackle and prevent alcohol and drug-related causes of antisocial behaviour.

Fergus Ewing: The Fife Equally Well test site is one of eight that the Scottish Government is supporting to promote collaboration between local public services, aimed ultimately at reducing inequalities in the health and wellbeing of people who need most, or all, of those services. I visited the Fife test site in Kirkcaldy on 26 October.

  We are supporting the Fife site with over £200,000 funding in 2009-10 and 2010-11. We are also addressing Scotland’s unhealthy relationship with alcohol through measures in our alcohol bill for minimum pricing and banning irresponsible off-sales promotions; we would welcome the support of all members for these.

Drug and Alcohol Misuse

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what schemes offer the best examples of ways in which drug and alcohol offenders can build constructive lives.

Kenny MacAskill: The best way to reduce alcohol and drug-related crime is to get problem drug users into appropriate treatment and support services. We are committed to providing opportunities at all stages of the criminal justice system for people to access treatment.

  There are a number of excellent schemes operating across the country such as the Community Service Centre at Alness, which I visited on 27 November and saw some fine work being done in partnership with Apex and SACRO.

  On the same day, during a visit to Inverness Prison, I was also impressed by the work of the IMPACT group, which is a multi-agency project. IMPACT runs in the community and focuses on offering clients "tools" to help them in their recovery. Of 30 new service users who started attending the IMPACT group in 2008, 22 have gone on to the Progress to Work programme, 19 to Learn Direct and seven have gained employment.

Economy

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated gross value added was for (a) Angus and (b) Dundee City in each of the last three years for which figures are available, also expressed per head.

John Swinney: Separate GVA (gross value added) estimates are not available for Angus and Dundee City. The regional GVA estimates published by the Office for National Statistics are available at the NUTS 3 level, which gives a combined figure for Angus and Dundee City in current basic prices.

  The latest three years available are 2005, 2006 and 2007, for which the total GVA was £3,890 million, £4,107 million and £4,369 million respectively. GVA per head for the region was £15,491 in 2005, £16,331 in 2006 and £17,335 in 2007. These figures are updated annually in December and are available at http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=14650.

Economy

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what body would set interest rates for an independent Scotland.

John Swinney: Under independence, Scotland would have the opportunity to choose the monetary framework and currency that best suited the needs of the Scottish economy. The interest rate policy of an independent Scotland would depend on the broader monetary framework which the Scottish Parliament adopted.

Epilepsy

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases passed through the criminal justice system in each of the last 10 years in which epilepsy was put forward as a potential mitigating circumstance.

Kenny MacAskill: The information requested is not held centrally.

Equal Opportunities

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the publication of She Figures 2009: Statistics and Indicators on Gender Equality in Science  by the European Commission, what it is doing to encourage women to enter scientific disciplines and careers.

Michael Russell: The Scottish Government recognises gender inequality as a significant issue in science and engineering careers in Scotland, as it is in the UK and indeed in most European countries, as is set out in the report referred to in the question. This is not just about unfairness for individuals, important though that is, but it is also about the limitations on economic growth that arise from inefficient skills utilisation. This is however, a complex issue requiring action on many fronts, in many areas of education and lifelong learning policy. It is not simply about encouraging more women to enter scientific careers, but also about retaining them in those careers once qualified, given the much higher attrition rate for women than men in these careers. Overcoming gender inequalities in these careers will itself act to encourage greater uptake by women at earlier stages.

  Ministers decided in June 2009 that tackling occupational segregation would be one of two priorities for advancing equality between women and men. My predecessor was very keen to make progress on this issue in relation to academic careers and I intend to maintain that momentum. The Scottish Government is already supporting several areas of activity on reducing gender inequality in this area. The Scottish Government is, for example, an active partner in the Close the Gap initiative (together with Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Skills Development Scotland, the Equality and Human Rights Commission and the STUC) and is providing funding of over £567,000 to the latest phase of the initiative until March 2011. This project aims to raise awareness about the gender pay gap and encourages action by employees and employers to tackle the causes, such as occupational segregation, and reduce the gap. Close the Gap is targeting colleges, universities and key sectors for the recovery of the economy, like life sciences. Further details can be found at:

  http://www.closethegap.org.uk/.

  In addition, the Scottish Further and Higher Education Council (SFC) is committed to looking at this issue as part of its overall aspiration to embed principles of equality and diversity across and within all its funded programmes. For example, SFC is currently working with Skills Development Scotland and the Scottish Government to address issues of occupational segregation, particularly within SFC-funded school-college partnership activity. It is intended that this will form a package of aligned initiatives that can respond to the issue of gender representation within Scotland’s colleges and universities. SFC has committed funding of over £320,000 to the Scottish Resource Centre for Women in Science Engineering and Technology, based at Napier University for a range of initiatives aimed at tackling gender inequality within the science, technology and engineering sectors. SFC is currently working on a pilot project with the sector skills organisation Constructionskills to provide equality and diversity training for students. SFC has in addition established the Scottish Research Career Co-ordination Forum to facilitate implementation of the research concordat. At this forum there has been discussion of how to support and retain women in research careers, including science, and there are plans to establish a sub-group to focus on supporting women in research careers. SFC are also planning more research on why only four of Scotland’s universities have become members of the Athena Swan Charter, which commits institutions to high standards of gender equality. SFC is discussing with Universities Scotland how best to engage with Scottish HEIs regarding their participation in this charter.

  The Scottish Government recognises the need to address this issue at all stages of the career spectrum. Our current "Do something creative. Do science" marketing campaign highlights a range of science careers and encourages young people to consider the opportunities available to them when they study science, regardless of their gender. Key aims are to tackle the stereotypes that many young people have about science, including the perception that science is "just for boys". A range of case studies on the campaign website at www.infoscotland.com/science provides useful information about male and female role models in science.

European Monetary Union

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether a monetary union would remain between the United Kingdom and an independent Scotland.

John Swinney: An independent Scotland would continue to operate within the sterling system until any decision to join the Euro by the people of Scotland, in a referendum, when the economic conditions were right.

Housing

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many units were provided through Affordable Housing Investment Programme activity in (a) 2000-01, (b) 2001-02, (c) 2002-03, (d) 2003-04, (e) 2004-05, (f) 2005-06, (g) 2006-07, (h) 2007-08 and will be provided in 2009-10.

Alex Neil: Details on the number of units provided through the Affordable Housing Investment Programme for the years 2000-01 to 2007-08 can be found on the Scottish Governments Official Statistics web page at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Housing-Regeneration/HSfS/NB-AHIP.

  Information on the 2009-10 programme can be found on the Housing and Regeneration web page here http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-Environment/Housing/investment/ahip.

Housing

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the houses provided through the 2008-09 Affordable Housing Investment Programme were off-the-shelf purchases.

Alex Neil: The number of units provided in 2008-09 through the Affordable Housing Investment Programme (AHIP) that were off-the-shelf purchases were 824. Details of the units provided through AHIP can be found on the Scottish Government’s Official Statistics web page at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Housing-Regeneration/HSfS/NB-AHIP.

  A detailed report on the 2008-09 AHIP can be found at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Housing-Regeneration/HSfS/AHIP0809Report.

Housing

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the houses provided through the 2008-09 Affordable Housing Investment Programme was off-the-shelf purchases.

Alex Neil: The percentage of the houses provided through the 2008-09 Affordable Housing Investment Programme (AHIP) that were off-the-shelf purchases was 13%. Details of the units provided through AHIP can be found on the Scottish Governments Official Statistics web page at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Housing-Regeneration/HSfS/NB-AHIP.

  A detailed report on the 2008-09 AHIP can be found at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Housing-Regeneration/HSfS/AHIP0809Report.

Housing

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the houses provided through the 2008-09 Affordable Housing Investment Programme were rehabilitated houses.

Alex Neil: The number of houses provided through the Affordable Housing Investment Programme (AHIP) in 2008-09 that were rehabilitated was 426. Details of the units provided through AHIP can be found on the Scottish Governments Official Statistics web page at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Housing-Regeneration/HSfS/NB-AHIP.

  A detailed report on the 2008-09 AHIP can be found at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Housing-Regeneration/HSfS/AHIP0809Report.

Housing

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the houses provided through the 2008-09 Affordable Housing Investment Programme was rehabilitated houses.

Alex Neil: The percentage of the houses provided through the Affordable Housing Investment Programme (AHIP) in 2008-09 that were rehabilitated was 7%. Details of the units provided through AHIP can be found on the Scottish Governments Official Statistics Web page at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Housing-Regeneration/HSfS/NB-AHIP.

  A detailed report on the 2008-09 AHIP can be found at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Housing-Regeneration/HSfS/AHIP0809Report.

Housing

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the houses provided through the 2008-09 Affordable Housing Investment Programme were for social rent.

Alex Neil: The number of houses provided through the Affordable Housing Investment Programme (AHIP) in 2008-09 that were for social rent was 4,429. Details of the units provided through AHIP can be found on the Scottish Governments Official Statistics web page at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Housing-Regeneration/HSfS/NB-AHIP.

  A detailed report on the 2008-09 AHIP can be found at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Housing-Regeneration/HSfS/AHIP0809Report.

Housing

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the houses provided through the 2008-09 Affordable Housing Investment Programme was for social rent.

Alex Neil: The percentage of the houses provided through the Affordable Housing Investment Programme in 2008-09 that were for social rent was 71%. Details of the units provided through AHIP can be found on the Scottish Governments Official Statistics web page at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Housing-Regeneration/HSfS/NB-AHIP.

  A detailed report on the 2008-09 AHIP can be found at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Housing-Regeneration/HSfS/AHIP0809Report.

Housing

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the houses provided through the 2008-09 Affordable Housing Investment Programme were for sale.

Alex Neil: The number of houses provided through the Affordable Housing Investment Programme (AHIP) in 2008-09 for sale was 993. Details of the units provided through AHIP can be found on the Scottish Governments Official Statistics web page at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Housing-Regeneration/HSfS/NB-AHIP.

  A detailed report on the 2008-09 AHIP can be found at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Housing-Regeneration/HSfS/AHIP0809Report.

Housing

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the houses provided through the 2008-09 Affordable Housing Investment Programme was for sale.

Alex Neil: The percentage of the houses provided through the Affordable Housing Investment Programme (AHIP) in 2008-09 for sale was 16%. Details of the units provided through AHIP can be found on the Scottish Governments Official Statistics web page at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Housing-Regeneration/HSfS/NB-AHIP.

  A detailed report on the 2008-09 AHIP can be found at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Housing-Regeneration/HSfS/AHIP0809Report.

Housing

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the houses classified as rehabilitated in the 2008-09 Affordable Housing Investment Programme were in use at the time of rehabilitation.

Alex Neil: We do not hold information on whether the houses classified as rehabilitated in the 2008-09 Affordable Housing Investment Programme were in use at the time of rehabilitation.

Justice

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is monitoring the number of days that an accused is in custody awaiting trial following changes to the 110-day rule.

Rt Hon Elish Angiolini QC: The Scottish prison service, court service and Crown all ensure that accused are not remanded in custody beyond the terms of the court’s warrant. Statistics are not maintained on the actual number of days that an accused remains in custody in terms of the court’s warrant or warrants. The criminal justice system in Scotland works within very strict time limits to ensure that accused are brought to trial quickly. The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service prioritises the prosecution of serious crime in order to ensure that these limits are complied with and all custody cases are indicted within 80 days.

Justice

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many community service orders were revoked before being completed in each month of 2009, broken down by local authority area.

Kenny MacAskill: Information on community service orders is currently collected on an annual basis which does not allow a monthly breakdown. Information on community service orders that were revoked during 2007-08 is given in the answer to question S3W-22858 on 23 June 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx .

  This is the most recent publicly available information and figures for 2008-09 will be published in the first quarter of 2010.

Justice

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-29301 by Cathy Jamieson on 8 November 2006, how many custodial sentences have been imposed for breaches of community service orders in each year since 2005.

Kenny MacAskill: The figures provided in the answer to question S2W-29301 were derived from Criminal Proceedings in Scottish Courts data up to 2004-05. While it is possible to update these figures on a comparable basis to 2006-07, the introduction of a new IT system within the courts meant that breaches of social work orders were no longer recorded as separate offences from 2007-08 and so have been excluded from the most recent Criminal Proceedings bulletin.

  More information on the changes is available in Annex C of the 2007-08 Court Proceedings bulletin at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2009/04/27103325/50.

  Other, more up to date information on community sentences is currently collected on an annual basis from local authority social work departments. The social work statistics give somewhat different figures since they include cases where the outcome of the breach application is not known by the social work department. The equivalent information to that requested above can be found in table 3.1 of Criminal Justice Social Work Statistics, 2007-08 which is available at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Crime-Justice/PubSocialWork.

  This is the most recent publicly available information and figures for 2008-09 will be published in the first quarter of 2010.

Justice

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many custodial sentences have been imposed for breaches of community service orders in each month of 2009.

Kenny MacAskill: Information on community service orders is currently collected on an annual basis which does not allow a monthly breakdown. Information on breaches of community service orders resulting in custodial sentences during 2007-08 is given in the answer to question S3W-29491 on 10 December 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

  This is the most recent publicly available information and figures for 2008-09 will be published in the first quarter of 2010.

Justice

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many community service orders were breached in each month of 2009.

Kenny MacAskill: Information on community service orders is currently collected on an annual basis which does not allow a monthly breakdown. Information on breaches of community service orders during 2007-08 can be found in table 3.1 of the 2007-08 criminal justice social work bulletin. This is available at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/12/09091001/0 .

  This is the most recent publicly available information and figures for 2008-09 will be published in the first quarter of 2010.

Justice

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many community service orders were issued in the last 12-month period for which figures are available; how many such orders were breached, and how the effectiveness of such orders was monitored.

Kenny MacAskill: The most recent available information is given in the 2007-08 criminal justice social work bulletin. This can be accessed at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/12/09091001/0.

  Table 1.1 shows the number of community service orders issued and the number of breach applications, while table 3.1 gives information on breach applications and outcomes. Figures are for "orders issued" and "applications for breach" during the year, but "orders issued" during one year may be subject to breach applications in the next reporting year, and similarly, "applications for breach" may relate to orders issued in the previous year. Figures for 2008-09 will be published in the first quarter of 2010.

  On the effectiveness of community service orders, I refer the member to the Scottish Government statistical bulletin "Reconviction Rates in Scotland", which provides comparative data for reconviction rates across the range of community and custodial penalties. The latest published edition covering cohorts for the periods 2005-06 and 2006-07 published in August 2009 can be accessed at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Crime-Justice/PubReconvictions.

  It shows that of those sentenced to custodial sentences of six months or less, approximately 74% were reconvicted within two years, while only 42% of those sentenced to community service were reconvicted during the same period.

Justice

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-25654 by Kenny MacAskill on 12 August 2009, what further work it plans to undertake to disseminate the good practice identified in the report and whether it plans to provide additional funding to community justice authorities to implement such practice.

Kenny MacAskill: We are working with community justice authorities to develop, with other agencies, ways of raising public awareness and support for community service activities. Furthermore, the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Bill contains measures to ensure engagement with relevant community interests on the nature of unpaid work undertaken as part of a community payback order.

  I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-25653, on 12 August 2009, for details of additional funding provided to all community justice authorities to support the delivery of credible and robust community service orders. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

Justice

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many offences of housebreaking were recorded in each of the last three years, broken down by police force area.

Kenny MacAskill: Information on the number of crimes of housebreaking recorded by police force area for the last three years is given in table 4a in the annual statistical bulletin series Recorded Crime in Scotland, for each of the years 2006-07 to 2008-09, published by the Scottish Government in 2007, 2008 and 2009 respectively. Copies of the first two of these bulletins are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. numbers 43510 and 46684). The statistical bulletin Recorded Crime in Scotland, 2008-09 can be obtained at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2009/09/28155153/0.

Licensing

Bill Aitken (Glasgow) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is regarding charging by local authorities in respect of licensing fees and whether it will issue guidance to an authority of which the licensing fee regime appears to operate at a significant surplus to the amount expended.

Fergus Ewing: In determining any fee, the Licensing (Fees) (Scotland) Regulations 2005 require a licensing board to have regard to the desirability that the total fees payable are broadly equivalent to the expenses incurred in administering the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 during that period.

  The government expects where any fee increase has exceeded expenditure, the licensing board should seek to provide a reduction in the subsequent annual fees. This is the position the government have stated publicly, including when the Justice Committee considered the fee regulations.

NHS Hospitals

Christopher Harvie (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost is over the term of the contract of the PPI project for the new Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy and whether a figure can be put on the net clinical benefit that the new hospital is expected to deliver to NHS Fife over that period.

Nicola Sturgeon: The information on the total cost of the PPP project is available within the Full Business Case Addendum which is held within the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) (Bib. number 49763). The objectives, benefits realisation plan and detailed value for money analysis are covered more fully in the Full Business Case which is again held within the SPICe library (Bib. number 46794).

Roads

Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the statement by the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change in the chamber on 29 October 2009, whether it still expects to conclude its consideration this calendar year of the reporters’ findings and recommendations following the public local inquiry into the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.

Stewart Stevenson: Yes. The decision will be made by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth.

Rural Affairs

Cathie Craigie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-28979 by Richard Lochhead on 18 November 2009, on what dates groups will receive 90% LEADER funding for projects that have been approved.

Richard Lochhead: From 1 January 2010 LEADER local action groups can choose to award up to 90% funding to new projects in their area. This is for a trial period of one year. It is for individual local action groups to determine the rate of grant for projects in their area.

Schools

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action will be taken to promote shared-campus schools as part of its school building strategy.

Michael Russell: The new school estate strategy, Building Better Schools: Investing in Scotland’s Future , sets out a clear vision for the school estate in Scotland which signals the high value we place on learning; which people and communities can enjoy using and can be proud; which are well designed, maintained and managed, and which encourage continuous engagement with learning.

  Where shared-campus schools are the most appropriate option for a local learning community, Building Better Schools, as is always the case for the most appropriate option, supportive and provides the framework for decisions around that option to be taken.

Schools

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-28823 by Adam Ingram on 19 November 2009, on how many occasions the disclosure process has identified sexual offences committed by prospective hosts in school exchange programmes.

Adam Ingram: Data on the precise number of cases where the disclosure process has revealed sexual offences committed by prospective host parents is not available. This is because the variety of ways the position of host parent is described on disclosure applications makes it difficult to draw down aggregated statistics. Of those applications which were specifically identified as relating to host parents in 2008-09, 7% had convictions disclosed. We cannot confirm the detail of those offences, whether those were sexual offences nor any action that organisations may have taken as a result. Disclosure Scotland does not routinely gather information on what recruitment decisions are made following receipt of the disclosure certificate. For this reason, knowledge of the deterrent effect of disclosure in these cases is anecdotal and it is not appropriate to comment on particular cases.

Schools

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the announcement by the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning on 28 September 2009, for what reasons Campbeltown Grammar School was not included in its list of 14 secondary schools selected to be rebuilt.

Michael Russell: The first 14 secondary schools announced on 28 September were selected on the basis of the distribution of needs throughout Scotland; the best available information about schools’ condition and unsuitability to deliver Curriculum for Excellence; additionality, and authorities’ own plans, priorities and readiness to proceed. Secondary schools which were not included in the first announcement will be eligible for consideration in subsequent phases of the programme.

Schools

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the announcement by the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning on 28 September 2009, in which category it rates Campbeltown Grammar School in terms of its condition and requirement to be upgraded or rebuilt and which of the 14 secondary schools selected to be rebuilt were deemed to be in a lower category.

Michael Russell: The condition assessment of a school is a matter for the local authority. Argyll and Bute Council reported that Campbeltown Grammar School was in condition category B in the School Estate Statistics 2008. That was changed to category D in the 2009 Statistics. Of the 14 secondaries announced on 28 September, Lasswade High School was in condition D, Harris Academy, James Gillespie’s High School and Dumbarton Academy were in condition B and the remainder were in condition C.

  Information about schools’ condition was only one of six criteria, which were agreed by the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, used to identify the first 14 schools. The others were; the distribution of needs throughout Scotland; the best available information about schools’ unsuitability to deliver Curriculum for Excellence; additionality, and authorities’ own plans, priorities and readiness to proceed.

Schools

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when it plans to upgrade or replace Campbeltown Grammar School.

Michael Russell: Any decision to upgrade or replace an individual school remains one for the local authority in question. Along with other schools, Campbeltown Grammar School will be eligible for consideration in subsequent phases of the school building programme.

Student Finance

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, following the statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning on student support on 28 October 2009 ( Official Report c. 20531), what changes to the eligibility criteria for the additional loan are envisaged for dependent students under 25 years of age.

Michael Russell: There will be no changes to the eligibility criteria for the additional loan for dependent students under 25 years of age.

  Details of the eligibility criteria can be found at www.saas.gov.uk.

Student Finance

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to match the maximum amount of student support available to dependent students under the age of 25 in Scotland with the maximum amount offered in England.

Michael Russell: The government has no plans to match the maximum amount of student support available to dependent students under the age of 25 in Scotland with the maximum amount offered in England.

  Following discussions with opposition parties and the NUS around the recent consultation paper, Supporting a Smarter Scotland, we have matched the income of dependent and independent students. These measures will take the income of students from low income families in colleges and universities to £5,852 per annum in academic year 2010-11.

Teachers

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to the OECD and European Commission report, Teachers’ Professional Development: Europe in international comparison .

Michael Russell: Scotland did not take part in the OECD’s Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS), which underpinned this report but the findings do provide interesting points of comparison with the Scottish system.

  For example, the report indicates "that much can be gained by integrating professional development in the total work package of teachers". It is a core part of the Teachers’ Agreement in Scotland that all teachers should have 35 hours per year contractual CPD time (in addition to five days of in-service time in each school year). The agreement also put in place a requirement for each teacher to engage in professional review and development with their line manager each year and to identify professional development needs on the basis of individual, school and national priorities, which is in line with the suggestion in the report that greater "emphasis on appraisal and feedback could strengthen its benefits in schools".

  As well as tending to confirm that many of the structural supports for teachers’ professional development in Scotland are sound, the report also suggests ways in which that professional development can best be focused to support improved learning and teaching. These include that professional development is most effective when it is collaborative and focused directly on the learning environment. To a significant extent this mirrors the findings on continuing professional development in HM Inspectorate of Education’s (HMIE) recent report, Improving Teaching, Improving Learning.

  The Scottish Government will continue to work with partners to ensure that lessons and effective practice, as identified in this report and elsewhere, are utilised within Scotland. This will be particularly important in the context of the wide-ranging review of teacher education (including the full range of professional development for teachers), to be led by Graham Donaldson (currently Her Majesty’s Senior Chief Inspector) and due to commence in January 2010.

Whisky Industry

John Scott (Ayr) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason the National Food Processing, Marketing and Co-operation Scheme has not supported projects connected to the Scotch Whisky industry or its supply chain.

Richard Lochhead: The Food Processing, Marketing and Co-operation grant scheme is principally concerned with projects that enhance the production and processing of food products.

  On Tuesday I announced the latest round of awards under the Food Processing, Marketing and Co-operation Scheme which provided £1.1 million of support to 16 food companies and creating 77 jobs.